Since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the nationwide expansion of the Family and Youth Fund in an event last week, a total of 17,192 couples have applied for support.
The Family and Youth Fund, established by the Ministry of Family and Social Services, aims to support and strengthen the institution of family, protect young people from social risks, and assist in their development.
Erdoğan stated, “We are expanding the interest-free loan support we provide to young couples across all 81 provinces of our country.”
Since the announcement, couples from across Türkiye, especially from Istanbul, Şanlıurfa and Ankara, have applied for the fund.
Applications for the fund opened on Feb. 15, 2024, for couples in provinces affected by the deadly 2023 earthquakes, which were centered in Kahramanmaraş. The fund offers couples starting their journey toward marriage interest-free loans with a repayment period of 48 months, two years of deferred payments, and a total of TL 150,000 ($4,211). Additionally, couples receive pre-marriage and post-marriage training and counseling services.
To be eligible, couples must be aged 18 to 29, not own or hold shares in real estate and their total income over the past six months and last month’s income must not exceed 2.3 times the minimum wage. Additionally, they must apply at least two months but no more than six months before their official wedding date.